International Signal and Control

International Signal and Control (ISC) was a U.S. defense contractor based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that was involved in the manufacture of electronic missile subassemblies, navigation components, fuses, power supplies for proximity fuzes, and grenade technology. The company had manufactured sub assemblies for the [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/agm-45.htm "Shrike"] and MARK-3, MARK-5 [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/rim-7.htm "Sparrow"] missile in 1974, and just after the Vietnam war, was part of a standard arm contract for the United States department of defense administration. See:AGM-45 Shrike

The company also had a commercial repair facility of two meter portable HAM/ amateur radios from a company in New Jersey called [http://www.rigpix.com/clegg/fmdx.htm Clegg] and, manufactured communication helmet radios for firemen, and electronic outdoor bug zappers. They also manufactured small hidden portable radios to communicate by individuals and were used by US organizations such as the FBI, secret service and CIA in 1974.

ISC was involved in two major indiscretions, for which CEO James Guerin received a 15-year prison sentence:
*It defrauded by $1.14B and caused the collapse of the British company Ferranti, which acquired it in 1987.
*It exported classified military technology to South Africa, which was then forwarded to third countries, notably Iraq, and to China.

Exports to South Africa and Iraq

ISC technology, principally weapons fuses, and were exported to Iraq via South Africa, allegedly¹ with the knowledge of U.S. intelligence agencies and in violation of United States and United Nations sanctions. U.S. intelligence agencies were involved in the setting up of electronic listening posts in South Africa with ISC technology. In 1977 these operations were officially cancelled due to sanctions but allegedly continued.²

Another link to Iraq was the supply of the specifiations for the MK-20 Rockeye cluster bomb through Chilean defence company Carlos Cardoen, which was able to build an almost identical weapon.³

In 1992 CEO Guerin pleaded guilty to exporting classified military technology. These weapons were to aid Iraq in its fight with Iran but prosecutors at Guerin's trial alleged that some were inevitably used against U.S. and allied troops in the Gulf War.

In 1994, after Bobby Ray Inman requested to be withdrawn from consideration as Bill Clinton's first Defense Secretary, his critics speculated that the decision was motivated by a desire to downplay his links to ISC. Inman was a member of board of directors, which was allegedly either negligent or approved the exports.

Ferranti defrauding and collapse

ISC was acquired by Ferranti in 1987, which collapsed in 1993 due to the debts of its new subsidiary. International Signal and Control's CEO James Guerin was found guilty of defrauding Ferranti by inflating the order book of ISC, prior to and during the acquisition, with fictitious contracts. Ferranti was broken up and the majority of the defence businesses were purchased by GEC.

ources

#e.g. [http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=9417&mode=nested&order=0] [http://www.cdi.org/adm/Transcripts/633/]
# [http://www.cryptogon.com/docs/us_iraq.pdf www.cryptogon.com: Historical Perspectives on the Persian Gulf Crisis (PDF)]
# [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2D81438F932A05750C0A966958260 NY TIMES mention of James Guerin-Ferranti-Case Investigation]
# [http://www.jonathanpollard.org/1991/091391.htm How U.S. Arms and Technology Were Transferred to Iraq, Ted Koppel - ABC NEWS Nightline Show # 2690 - Air Date: September 13, 1991]
# [http://advancedmediagroupresearch.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/guerin-and-isc-use-a-fulton-bank-account.pdf Guerin company guilty]